The Nebraska Department of Transportation recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of the state’s “Infrastructure Hub” or “IHub,” Nebraska’s first-ever intergovernmental entity focused on empowering state and local public agencies in competing for federal discretionary grants.
[Above image by Nebraska DOT]
The agency said it established the IHub in response to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA, which introduced “unprecedented” federal discretionary funding opportunities that local agencies often found difficult to apply for.
[Editor’s note: Nebraska DOT noted that its IHub won a western region award for “Quality of Life and Community Development” as part of the 2025 America’s Transportation Awards as well.]
From small towns to major cities across Nebraska, the IHub serves as a “one stop shop” for resources and guidance to make receiving federal discretionary funds more attainable to meet statewide infrastructure needs. In the first year of operation, the IHub has:
- Supported 60 local agencies from 50 counties.
- Reviewed 86 projects for funding opportunities and is currently assisting locals in securing funding for 45 of those projects.
- Managed 18 awarded projects totaling over $177 million in grants.
- So far in 2025, six awards have been announced across four counties totaling nearly $74 million in discretionary transportation grants.
“One of the biggest hurdles that we heard from our local public agencies was their lack of discretionary grant knowledge,” noted Jodi Gibson, Nebraska DOT’s local assistance division manager, in a statement. “Whether that was applying for them or managing the projects, it was a huge need for Nebraska.”
“I’m very excited that we now have a year underneath our belt of the Infrastructure Hub,” Gibson said. “We’ve learned a lot, and we now know how to better help our local agencies. I’m excited for what the future holds.”
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